India’s leading health insurer, Star Health, is conducting an investigation into claims that its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Amarjeet Khanuja, may have been involved in a data breach orchestrated by a hacker using Telegram chatbots to disseminate sensitive customer information.
In a statement to Reuters, Star Health confirmed that Khanuja is cooperating with the inquiry, which has yet to uncover any evidence of misconduct on his part. The investigation follows allegations from the hacker, known as xenZen, who claimed on his website that Khanuja had “sold all this data to me.”
Khanuja did not respond to requests for comment regarding the situation. Star Health reiterated that its CISO is fully cooperating with the investigation and emphasized that no wrongdoing has been found thus far.
The company filed a lawsuit last month against Telegram and the hacker after a Reuters report on September 20 detailed how the hacker utilized chatbots on the messaging platform to leak customer data and subsequently created websites for easy access to this information. As a result, Star Health’s stock fell by 2% on Thursday and has experienced a 6% decline since the report.
Star Health characterized the incident as a “targeted, malicious cyberattack” that resulted in unauthorized access to certain data. Independent cybersecurity experts are leading the forensic investigation, and the company is working closely with law enforcement to address the breach.
Earlier assessments by Star Health indicated “no widespread compromise,” assuring customers that their sensitive data remains secure. A court in Tamil Nadu, the company’s home state, has granted a temporary injunction requiring Telegram and the hacker to block access to any chatbots or websites in India that disseminate the leaked information.
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